Iron



Nov. 14, 1939.

B. A. KAPLAN 2,179,890

IRON

Filed NOV. l5, 1938 lNvEN-ro 1 Al rToRNEY Pnenied Nov. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFicE i 2.11am

moN i Benjamin a. mum-rhumeipnis, P..

Application Number 15, 193s, serial No. 240,579

7 claims. -(ci. sis-z5) This invention relates to irons.

It has been proposed to manufacture an iron having a lhollow body formed of translucent or transparent material in which an electric resistance element is housed and in which a vacuum is maintained -to prevent the destruction of the resistance material by the oxygen of the air. In place of the vacuum being drawn in the hollow body per se, a plurality of electric lamp bulbs may be housed within'the transparent hollow body in an attempt to develop suiiicient heat for laundering purposes. In this type of product no means, however, was employed for concentrating the light and heat rays through the flat working surface of the iron so that the heat rays were radiated in all directions and the product was.

ineffective for the purpose.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an iron or heating device with a transparent hollow body with means for concentrating the light and heat rays directly on the work for not only illuminating the work but for creating at the flat working surface of the iron lsumcient heat to accomplish the results intended.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an iron formed of a hollow transparent body in which an incandescent lamp of sumcient power is removably housed within the hollow body, a portion of the outer surface of the hollow body being provided with a reflector while the inner surface of the flat working portion of the iron is provided with curved projections which will aid in concentrating the rays from the lamp at the working surface.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an iron having a transparent hollow body with cooperating reflecting surfaces and light concentrating elements whereby when an incandescent lamp of suilicient power is placed within the hollow body an effective heating is obtained for pressing garments, Ithe iron also being employed for therapeutic purposes in relieving pain when applied to aifected parts of the human body consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

55 Figure 1 isa,viewin perspective of an iron This invention will be best understood from a' is provided With an opening I5.

constructed 'in accordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the iron,

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the iron, 5

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken along the line 4--4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of a removable plug for supporting an incandescent lamp within the iron,

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of the removable handle for the iron, and

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of a modifled form of the iron which is particularly adapted for therapeutic purposes.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, III generally designates a hollow body which is formed of glass or any other suitable transparent material. This body is. provided witha flat working surface I I, an inclined curved front portion I2 and the forward part of the iron is gradually reduced in cross sectional area to form a pointed portion I3 which is adapted to be moved forwardly between the folds of the goods which are adapted to be pressed. The rear portion of the iron; as shown at I4, is substantially fiat and The iron at this point has its greatest width. l

The top .IB is curved downwardly towards the curved portion I2 at the rforward end and is provided with an internally threaded nipple I1.

A handle I8 has. a threaded plug portion I9 which is screwed into the nipple I1. The handie extends rearwardly and terminates slightly beyond the rear wall Il. This handle, however, is of suilicient length that it may be grasped securely by the hand of the operator. The outer end I9 of the handle is unconnected to the body of the iron so that the lingers may be freely moved beneath the handle from the rear.

A plug 20 formed of insulating material has a thread 2| of high pitch so that it is only necessary to insert the plug within the opening I5 and give it a slight turn for the threads 2l to be locked immediately with a complementarily formed thread 22 formed at the inner wall of the opening I5.

The plug is provided with an axial bore 25 which is internally threaded to receive the threaded portion 2l of an electric lamp 21.

The lamp is provided with the usual illament 28 and is of sufficient power to create a temperature within the bodyl for the purpose intended.

The plug 20 is formed of insulating material as is an extension 2l whichhas passages 30 and Il to receive, respectively, prongs 32 and 33 of a plug 34 of the usual type which is connected by electric wires 35 to the house current. It will be noted that the passages 30 and 3| extend through the extension 29, so that the prongs 32 and 33 may be inserted into the passages from either end. 'I'he purpose of extending the passages entirely through the plug is to permit the operator to readily insert the prongs in those ends of the passages which are' uppermost because when the operator replaces the bulb or lamp 21 by inserting the plug 23 and turning it he will not always return said plug to the former position so that if he starts to place the plug Within the opening I at a point 180 from its former position the opposite ends of the passages 30 and 3| will appear at the top while the forward ends of the passages will be located at the bottom. Thus it will be seen that the threads 2| are so constructed that the plug may be screwed into the opening l5 at points 180 apart.

A threaded core 25, as shown in Fig. 2, is formed of metal and a conductor 35 extends from the core and is adapted to engage the prong 33. A metal contact 36 engages the contact 31 on the lamp 21. A conductor 38 connects the contact with a spring contact 39 which is adapted to be engaged by the prong 32.

The upper outer surface of the body, as shown at 40, is covered with silver or some other suitable material which will act as a reflector for projecting the light rays from the lamp 21 on to the bottom of the iron. The lower portion, however, is uncovered so that suiiicient light rays will be projected onto the goods for directing `,he operator in his work.

'Ihe inner surface of the bottom is provided with a plurality of raised portions 4| which are so curved that they will form small lenses for concentrating the light rays and likewise the heat rays through the bottom in order to increase the temperature at the bottom so that the bottom portion will be sumciently heated for the purpose intended. l

The device shown in Fig. 7 is constructed in an identical manner with the device shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, except that the shape of the iron has been changed to make it more satisfactory for therapeutic purposes for applying the bottom 45 to some part oi the human body when it is desired for the application of heat to an aiectedy part. 'It will be seen that the corners 41 and 48 are rounded as is the blunt front portion 49. 'I'he side edges 50 of the iron are curved so that no sharp points will at any time come in contact with the body.

It will be seen by this construction that the rays are not only reilected downwardly on to the bottom ll of the iron or the bottom 45 of the device for therapeutic purposes by the reflector 40 but the semi-spherical projections 4| on the inner surfaces of the bottom of each of the devices will concentrate the rays on to the work or on to some part of the human body which is adapted to be treated so that substantially all of the heat developed by the filament 28 may be emciently utilized.

The handle is removably connected to the body so that when it is desired to pack the iron in a suitcase the handle may be removed and thus reduce the space required for storing the iron.

I claim:

transparent material and having an opening at one end, a plug threaded into said opening and provided with contacts for connection with an electric circuit, an electric lamp electrically connected with the contacts and supported by the plug, ray concentrating means on the bottom o! the body, and a thin metallic covering on the upper outer surface of the iron-for reflecting rays on to the ray concentrating means.

2. An iron comprising a. hollow body formed of transparent material and having an opening at one end, a plug threaded into said opening and provided with contacts for connection with an electric circuit, an electric lamp electrically connected with the contacts and supported by the plug, and ray concentrating means on the bottom of the body.

3. An ir'on comprising a hollow body formed of transparent material and having an opening at one end, a plug threaded into said opening and provided with contacts for connection with an electric circuit, an electric lamp electrically conixfted with the contacts and supported by the plug, and a thin metallic covering on the upper outer surface of the iron for reecting rays on to the ray concentrating means.

4. An iron comrgising a hollow body formed ol' transparent material and having an opening at one enf, a plug threaded into said opening and provided with contacts for connection with an the body, and a reflector at the upper portion of.

the body.

5. A sad iron comprising a hollow body formed I of transparent material and having a flat bottom and an opening at one end, a plug threadedV into the opening and provided with contacts for connection with an electric circuit, an electric lamp removably supported by the plug and having electrical connections with the contacts, the inner face of the bottom being provided with a plurality of lenses for concentrating the rays at the outer surface of the bottom.

6. A sad iron comprising a hollow body formed of transparent material and having a fiat bottom and an opening at one end, a plug threaded into the opening and provided with contacts for connection with an electric circuit, an electric lamp removably supported bythe plug and having electrical connections with the contacts, the inner face of the bottom being provided witha plurality of lenses for concentrating the rays at the outer surface of thebottom, and means reflecting the rays on to the lenses.

7. A sad iron comprising a hollow body formed of transparent material and having a flat bottom and an opening at one end, a plug threaded into the opening and provided with contacts for connection with an electric circuit, an electric lamp removably supported by the plug and having electrical connections with the contacts, the inner face of the bottom being provided with a plurality of lenses for concentrating the rays at thel outer surface of the bottom, and a metallic coating covering the top and a portion of the side walls of the body for reiiecting rays on to the lenses.

' BENJAMIN A. KAPLAN. 

